Spindle feed



A ril 21, 1942. R. s. BRESCKA SPIN DLE FEED Filed June 8, 1939 llll INVENTOR 1?.5. BRESCKA A TTORNEY Patented Apr. 21, 1942 SPINDLE FEED Rudolph S. Brescka, Cranl'ord, N. 3., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 8, 1939, Serial No. 278,036

8 Claims.

-This invention relates to spindle feeds, and more particularly to mechanism for moving spindles to move tools carried thereby toward and away from work.

There are two types of feeding means commonly used in moving tool carrying spindles toward and away from work, one being the rack and pinion type and the other the hydraulic type. With the rack and pinion type of spindle feed the element of fatigue is present, especially when the operator must frequently cause actuation of this type of spindle feeding means throughout his working day. It is possible to remove the element of fatigue by use of the hydraulic type of spindle feed, but with this type of spindle feed separate pumping systems or other means must deliver the fluid under pressure to each machine, which not only adds to the original cost and the expense of operating such machines but is ofttimes difiicult to incorporate in smaller machines.

An object of the invention is to provide a spindle feed which is simple in construction, emcient in operation, and easy to operate.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises a rotary spindle extending axially through compartments containing a liquid and impellers fixed to the spindle to rotate therewith, the compartments each having a by-pass controlled by a common valve to selectively render the impellers efiective to move the spindle in one direction or the other.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken" in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevational view of a machine embodying the invention, portions thereof being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The machine chosen to illustrate the invention is a drill press, indicated at Ill, having a support II for work l2 adiustably carried thereby. Suitable power means is also mounted upon the press, which power means may be a motor l3 for driving a spindle l4 through a belt l5 and pulleys l6 and H. The pulley I1 is connected to the spindle l4 by means of a key or other suitable means to form a connection for rotation of the spindle with the pulley yet permit axial movement of the spindle relative to the pulley. The pulley I! is held against axial movement by suitable means and rests upon a neck portion ll! of the drill press, the latter providing a hearing for the spindle. 4

A housing is adjustably mounted upon the press l0 through suitable means, indicated at 2|, and has compartments 22 and 23 formed therein. The compartments are closed at their outer ends by cover plates 26 and 21, respectively, these cover plates being apertured for the spindle and provided with suitable packing members 28 to prevent escapement of a liquid 30 disposed in the compartments. The cover plates are also provided with substantially U-shaped passageways 32 and 33 to form communication between their respective compartments and a by-pass 34, the latter being in the form of a passageway extending the full length of the housing and communicating at a point between its ends with a valve chamber 35.

'In the valve chamber 35 a double valve is disposed but in order to follow the operation of the spindle feeding means more easily this double valve will be defined as two valves with a single control means. As shown in Fig. 3 in solid lines and in dotted lines in Fig. l, a valve 38 associshaft having an eccentrically mounted projec tion at the inner end thereof positioned in a groove of a connecting member 44 of the two valves, so that through rotation of the element 43 the valves may be moved simultaneously to control the flow of the liquid from the compartments. In the present embodiment the valve actuated element 43 extends through an aperture in a partition 45 separating the compartments 22 and 23 in which the valves and the valve seats are disposed, the outer end of the element having a suitable handle 46 fixed thereto, as illustrated in Fig. 2. A set screw 41 disrespect to the valves yet permits rotation of the element.

Suitable means may be provided to locate the element 43 in any .desired rotary position, to

locate the valves to cause movement of the spindle at desired variable speeds in one direction,

to cause the spindle to move at desired variable speeds in the opposite direction and to cause the spindle to remain in any desired position against axial movement. One such means would be the provision of friction plates to allow movement of the handle 48 to move the element into any of these desired positions. However, in the present embodiment a spring pressed ball 50 is disposed in the handle 46 and conditioned to hold the handle with the element in any one of a plurality of positions to control the valve and thus control movement of the spindle.

Impellers 55 and 58 are disposed in the compartments 22 and 23, respectively, and rigidly mounted upon the spindle. The impeller 55 has a plurality of blades 51 mounted thereupon at desired spaced positions and at suitable angles to cause the impeller to move downwardly through the liquid in the compartment 22 when the valve 38 is closed, preventing circulation of th liquid through the by-pass. The number of blades on the impeller 55 is sumcient to force the spindle downwardly to move a tool 53 carried thereby under a sufllciently high pressure to cause the tool to satisfactorily operate on the work, the tool in this instance being a drill bit and the work being any desired material. The impeller 56 has a fewer number of blades 63 for the reason that its purpose is merely to move the spindle I4 upwardly away from e work. The blades 60, therefore, are shape so as to move upwardly through the liquid in the compartment 23 when the valve 40 is closed shutting ofi circulation of the liquid in the compartment through the by-pass.

Referring now to the operation of the spindle feed, let it be assumed that the motor I3 is energized, causing rotation of the spindle in the direction of the arrow shown at the lower portion ofthe spindle in Fig. 1. If the element 43, through the aid of the handle 48, is moved to locate the valves 33 and 43 at desired positions with respect to their seats, with both valves in 'opened positions, the spindle l4 may rotate yet will not be moved axially.

Should the operator desire to cause movement of the spindle downwardly the handle 46 is moved to move the valve 38 into closed position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. When the valve 33 is in closed position the valve 40 is in opened position, allowing the impelling motion of the impeller 56 to cause circulation of the liquid from the compartment 23 into the valve chamber 35 through the upper portion of the by-pass 34, the passageway 33, and back into the compartment, this circulation continuing as long as the\ valves remain'in the positions suggested. Referring now to the lower compartment under these 60 fore, due to the fact that the liquid cannot circulate or be forced by the impeller 55 through the by-pass, the rapid rotation of the spindle with the impeller will cause the impeller blades 51 to cut through the body of liquid and move downwardly, moving therewith the spindle l4.

with the valve 33 completely closed the impeller 55 will cause downward movement of the spindle under maximum pressure. However, if a lower pressure is desired for the downward movement of the spindle, the operator may actuate. t 75 handle 43 and the element 43 to open the valve 33 slightly, allowing a small quantity of the liquid to move slowly past the valve 38 intothe chamber 33 and through the by-pass 34. Therefore. by controlling the position of the valve from a completely closed position to a desired partially opened position the spindle l4 may be moved downwardly under varying pressures, requiring of the operator only the movement of the valve controlling means, namely the handle 43 and the element 43.

In order to return the spindle l4 to its upward position the handle 43 is moved to rotate the element 43 to move the valve 40 into closed position and the valve 33 into opened position. During rotation of the spindle in the same direction the impeller 33 is rendered ineffective to move the spindle due to the fact that the impelling force thereof merely causes the liquid to circulate through the valve and the by-pass, creating only a slight force tending to move the spindle downwardly. The impeller 56, however, is rendered effective due to the closing of the circuit for the liquid through the by-pass and causing the blades of the impeller 58 to cut through the bodyof liquid sealed in the compartment 23. The formation of the blades 60 of the impeller 36 during rotation with the spindle in the closed body of liquid is such that they will travel upwardly through the liquid, overcome the slight force caused by the impeller 55 and cause movement of the spindle upwardly to the normal position shown in Fig. l.

The spindle 14, therefore, carries its own feeding means, namely the impellers 55 and 56, they being rendered effective throu h the valves 33 and 40, which are simultaneously controlled to vary the effectiveness of the impellers, to move the spindle downwardly under maximum pressure to feed a tool to work and to vary the pressure at will from the maximum pressure in one direction to an idle position and through variable without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine having a rotary spindle, feed for the spindle comprising a housing apertured for the spindle and having two compartments therein, a fluid disposed in the housing, two impellers each having a set of blades disposed at angles to out their way in opposite directions in the fluid disposed in the compartments respectively, and mounted for rotation with the spindle, and means to control the fluid to render the impellers ineffective to move the spindle, to render one of the impellers effective to move the spindle in one direction, to render the said efiective impeller ineffective and render the other impeller effective to move the spindle in another direction under varying pressures.

2. In a machine having a rotary spindle, a feed for the spindle comprising a housing apertured for the spindle and having compartments therein, a fluid disposed in the compartments, im-

pellers mounted in the compartments for rotation with the spindle and formed with blades extencling in difierent angular directions to move the spindle in difierent directions while rotating in the fluid, and valve means to control the fluid to selectively render the blades effective to move the spindle in the different directions at different intervals.

3. In a machine having a rotary spindle, a feed for the spindle comprising a housing apertured for the spindle and having compartmentstherein, a fluid disposed in the compartments, im.-' pellers mounted in the compartments for'rot'ation with the spindle and formed, to move the spindle in difierent directions while rotating in the fluid, means actuable to render one of the I the fluid, means actuable to render one of the impellers efiective to move the spindle in one direction and to control the fluid to selectively render either impeller effective and vary the force of the impellers to move the spindle.

5. In a machine having a rotary spindle, a feed for the spindle comprising a housing apertured for the spindle-and having compartments therein, an impeller disposed in each compartment and mounted for movement with the spindle, a fluid disposed in the compartments, 9. by -pass for the fluid in each compartment, a valve positioned between each by-pass and its respective compartment, and a single means actuable to 6. In a machine having a rotary spindle, a feed for the spindle comprising a housing apertured for the spindle and having compartments therein, an impeller disposed in each compartment and mounted for movement with the spindle, a fluid disposed in the compartments, a b'y-pass for the fluid in each compartment, a valve positioned between each by-pass and its respective compartment, and means to control the valves to vary the efiectiveness of the impellers to vary the direction of movement of the spindle and vary the force applied to the spindle by the impellers.

7. In a machine having-a rotary spindle, a feed for the spindle comprising a housing apertured for the spindle and having compartments therein, an impeller disposed in each compartment and mounted for movement with the spindle, a fluid disposed in the compartments, a by-pass for the fluid in each compartment, a valve positioned between each .by-pass and its respective compartment, and an element operatively connected to the valves and movable into any of a plurality of positions to vary the effect of the impellers to cause movement of the spindle under selected varying forces to a maximum force in one direction, to cause the spindle to remain at'rest while rotating and cause the spindle to move I under selected varying forces to a maximum force in the opposite direction.

8. In a machine having a rotary spindle, a feed for the spindle comprising a housing apertured for the spindle and having two compartments therein a fluid disposed in the housing, two impellers each having a set or blades disposed at angles to cut their way in opposite directions in thefluid disposed in the compartments re- I spectively and mounted for rotation with the control the valves to vary the efiectiveness of the impellers to vary the direction of movement of the-spindle.

spindle, and means. to control the fluid to render "either impeller eifective to move the spindle in 40 either direction and to render the impellers ineffective to move the spindle in either direction;

RUDOLPH S. IBRESCKA. 

